In over 10 years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has delivered some of the best content that superhero media has to offer. Their incredible characters, expert world-building, and ability to adapt the source material have made the MCU one of the biggest franchises in modern times. Part of what makes the films so successful is seeing the characters interact with other characters from other films. The result has introduced audiences to some very intriguing relationships. Furthermore, while not all of these relationships have been romantic, there have still been some strong romances within the world of the MCU. However, while some pairings seem perfect, others have easily missed the mark. To look at some of the best and the worst, here is our list of 5 MCU relationships that fans were behind, and 5 that they rejected.
Rejected: Peter and Liz
Introducing Liz Allen as a love interest for Peter Parker certainly helped distinguish it from previous Spider-Man films. However, most fans already knew that their relationship would never last. Though Peter is romantically involved with Liz for a time in the comics, his two greatest loves will always be Gwen Stacy or Mary Jane Watson. As a result, Liz’s portrayal in Spider-Man: Homecoming almost made her seem unimportant. Throughout the film, she very much feels like a background character. Though the twist in her relationship with Vulture definitely helped her character feel more important to the story, it was pretty clear almost immediately that she and Peter wouldn’t last long. Because of this, fans seemed to brush her aside in anticipation of a much more important love interest for Peter.
Behind: Steve and Peggy
The romantic relationship between Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter is easily one of the more tragic love stories in the MCU. Considering the chemistry between the two of them during WWII, it was heartbreaking to know that they never got their dance together. With Captain America being such a fan favorite character, fans alike often just wanted him to be happy. Therefore, it was all the more heartbreaking to know that he couldn’t be as happy as he wanted to. Thankfully, Avengers: Endgame (2019) altered the timeline and ensured that Steve Rogers actually did get the happy ending that he always wanted. Though Steve dabbled in romance in modern times, things just felt right between him and Peggy, making it all the more satisfying to know that the two ended up together in the end.
Rejected: Tony and Aunt May
For a very brief time, it is suggested that Tony Stark may actually make romantic advances towards Aunt May. At the start of Captain America: Civil War, Tony’s relationship with Pepper is a bit unclear, and certainly complicated. Furthermore, his comments towards Aunt May could lead one to believe that Tony would certainly make a move. However, considering how Tony quickly became a father figure to Peter, seeing him romantically involved with Aunt May would definitely seem like a step too far. While everyone wanted to see the two be happy, it is nice to see that both of them ended up with much more suitable partners.
Behind: Tony and Pepper
As the first romance of the MCU, Tony Stark and Pepper Potts made for an interesting pair. Originally his employee, Pepper would eventually work her way into Tony’s heart. Though their relationship would always be a bit rocky, the two eventually persevered, even going on to have a child together. Despite the troubles in their relationship, Pepper is truly the only person who could handle Tony’s personality for that long. Furthermore, Tony himself would be a disjointed mess without Pepper there to guide him, making the two an ideal pair. From the very beginning, all the way to the very end, Tony Stark and Pepper Potts have been a relationship that fans happily support.
Rejected: Hawkeye and Black Widow
Initially, many fans were actually hoping to see a romance develop between Hawkeye and Black Widow. Throughout the MCU, it is even continually implied that the two were (at least at one point) more than just friends. However, after fans learn about Hawkeye’s family, most of them immediately dropped the thought. Jeremy Reynor’s Hawkeye worked so well as a family man within the MCU, arguably making him a more compelling character than his comic book counterpart. Furthermore, the loss of Hawkeye’s family at the start of Avengers: Endgame sets him on one of the most interesting character arcs he has ever had. Had he had a romance with Black Widow, Hawkeye would lose a lot of what made him a great character, making it easy to see why some fans rejected the two of them together.
Behind: Peter and MJ
At the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming, many hardcore comic fans were a bit worried about how Zendaya would portray MJ in future Spider-Man films. The actress is certainly a significant departure from MJ’s traditional comic book appearance, and even makes some changes to the character’s personality. However, after Spider-Man: Far From Home, Zendaya certainly won over a lot of fans who doubted her. While she may be different from her comic book counterpart, there’s no denying that she has some incredible chemistry with her co-star, Tom Holland. The on-screen relationship between the two just feels incredibly natural and helps make Spider-Man’s place in the MCU feel all the more impactful. Hopefully, the two will get to continue to explore their relationship within the confines of the MCU.
Rejected: Hulk and Black Widow
Though Joss Whedon certainly did a lot to help make the MCU one of the biggest franchises today, the relationship between Hulk and Black Widow wasn’t one of those things. Especially in Avengers: Age of Ultron, it is very evident that there is a strained attraction between Black Widow and Bruce Banner. Of course, the two would likely feel cautious in exploring their feelings for one another considering their drastically different histories and abilities. However, the romance between them is arguably the most forced relationship in the MCU. In the end, the whole thing just felt unnecessary. Likewise, the fan response was mostly negative, making it a good thing that the relationship between the two didn’t develop much further.
Behind: Happy and Aunt May:
One of the bigger surprises in Spider-Man: Far From Home was in learning that Happy Hogan, a character who has constantly appeared in the MCU, was starting a romance with none other than May Parker. As one of the newer romances (and with Spider-Man’s MCU fate unclear at the moment), very little has actually evolved between the two characters. However, it doesn’t change the fact that the pairing just fits so well. With a younger, more light-hearted take on Aunt May, it is totally believable that she would find herself with someone like Happy. Even though this relationship doesn’t exist in the comics, Kevin Feige and other Spider-Man creatives have definitely made the pairing work.
Rejected: Steve and Sharon
Though the relationship between Steve Rogers and Sharon Carter is the definitive Captain America romance in the comics, the two just didn’t fit quite as well on the big screen. Unfortunately, the chemistry between Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell was just much stronger, leaving Sharon’s character as a bit of an awkward match. Sharon was also not utilized as much as she could have been in the MCU, making her romance with Steve feel a bit more forced than other relationships in the MCU. While audiences can appreciate the inclusion of Sharon in the MCU, she certainly didn’t match with Captain America as well as her aunt did.
Behind: Scarlet Witch and Vision
Considering the relationship that the two have in the comics, fans were delighted to see Scarlet Witch and Vision together on the big screen. Unfortunately, very little of their relationship has actually been seen, due to the character’s background presence in films like Captain America: Civil War, and the important events from films like Avengers: Infinity War. Thankfully though, the two will have an opportunity to explore their relationship once again in the upcoming WandaVision TV show on Disney+. This time, audiences will get to see a lot more of the romance unfold between the two, and hopefully make them a much bigger presence within the MCU as a whole.
